As a South Asian woman, hair care is deeply rooted in tradition and culture for me. From gentle braids to deep oiling, hair care has been a practice that has helped me connect to my roots while doing good for my strands. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through 5 basic hair care tips you can add to your routine to transform your hair.

Oil Your Hair 1x Week
Oiling your hair is a basic hair care tip used for centuries in South Asia. The practice of hair oiling delivers nutrients to the scalp and promotes hair growth. Not to mention, it leaves your hair feeling soft and shiny.
If you have an oilier scalp, try oiling once a week or even once every other week to avoid any heaviness on your strands. If you have a drier scalp, you can try oiling once a week or even more often.
You probably already have some nourishing oils at home to start such as sesame oil, castor oil, or coconut oil. Otherwise, if you really want to spend some money, this one is great!
This basic hair tip will leave your strands feeling nourished and loved. Check out the blog post below to learn how to oil your hair like a true South Asian.
{Related Post: How to Oil Your Hair like a South Asian}
Give Yourself a Scalp Massage
In conjunction with hair oiling, scalp massages have taken over the internet as one of the best basic hair care tips to implement. When done correctly, scalp massages help stimulate blood circulation on your scalp and lift some build-up near the roots.
Use the padded part of your fingers and gently massage your scalp with medium pressure. Lift and go to a new spot each time to avoid tangles. This requires little time and no money.
This basic hair care tip can be done for as little as 5 minutes daily to see results in just a few months.
Sleep in Braids
There is a reason every South Asian schoolgirl went to school in braids. Braids are a great protective hairstyle that protects the strands while putting minimal tension on the roots. For most basic hair care tips, sleep in low, loose braids to reduce friction and tension on the hair strands. You will notice your hair is less frizzy, less damaged, and less prone to breakage.
Plus, you’ll wake up with heatless waves in the morning.
{Related Post: 5 Step Nightly Hair Care Routine for Healthy Hair}
Tend to Your Ends
Split ends start from the bottom. If not taken care of, your split ends can travel up the hair shaft, causing more damage than needed. Use a light dry oil on the ends of your hair to help prolong the emergence of split ends. This basic hair care tip will also help reduce tangles and breakage because healthy strands don’t knot as quickly.
Nourish Your Body
The last piece of advice in this roundup of basic hair care tips is to nourish your hair from within. Healthy hair starts and the roots, and for healthy hair to grow, you need a healthy body. Eat your protein and omega-rich foods as well as healthy fats to nourish your hair, skin, and nails. In South Asia, you’ll often find people starting their day with a few almonds each morning. These nuts are rich in healthy fats, omegas, vitamin B, and other essential nutrients for hair growth.
Starting with something simple, such as a few almonds a day, makes this basic hair care tip much easier to implement.
{Related Post: An Ultimate Guide to Ayurvedic Ingredients for Hair Growth}
Final Thoughts
Hair care, and healthy hair, is a long journey, but one that can make you feel good. These 5 free basic hair care tips can help you transform your hair with little extra time and money. I hope you found this helpful! Comment below if you did!
With love,
Aditi <3
Aditi Rani – Figuring Out Life in Your Twenties
*Disclaimer: This is not professional advice. Some links are affiliate. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a commission. It does not alter the price or change your buyer experience.